Quote by Kahlil Gibran
My friends and my road-fellows, pity the nation that is full of beliefs and empty of religion. Pity the nation that wears a cloth it does not weave, eats a bread it does not harvest, and drinks a wine that flows not from its own winepress. Pity the nation that acclaims the bully as hero, and that deems the glittering conqueror bountiful. Pity the nation that raises not its voice save when it walks in a funeral, boasts not except among its ruins, and will rebel not save when its neck is laid between the sword and the block. Pity the nation whose statesman is a fox, whose philosopher is a juggler, and whose art is the art of patching and mimicking. Pity the nation that welcomes its new ruler with trumpetings, and farewells him with hootings, only to welcome another with trumpetings again. Pity the nation divided into fragments, each fragment deeming itself a nation.
Summary
This quote by Lebanese-American poet and writer Khalil Gibran expresses pity for a nation that lacks genuine religious and moral values. It critiques a nation that indulges in external symbols without truly embodying them. Gibran laments a society that glorifies aggression and conquest over compassion and integrity. The quote also condemns a nation that only speaks up at funerals, celebrates destruction instead of achievements, and fails to show resilience in the face of oppression. It criticizes leaders who are cunning and manipulative, thinkers who perform mere tricks, and artists who imitate instead of producing original creations. Finally, it expresses sadness for a nation divided and fragmented, where each fragment claims to be an independent nation.
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